Contact spring relays

ABSTRACT

A CONTACT SPRING RELAY COMPRISING A COIL, A MAGNETIC CIRCUIT, AT LEAST TWO FLEXIBLE CONDUCTING BLADES, WHEREIN THE MAGNETIC CIRCUIT CONSISTS OF AN ANGLE PART, A CORE SECURED AT A FIRST BRANCH OF SAID ANGLE PART, AN ARMATURE PLATE PLACED ON THE FREE END OF THE CORE AND ON THE END OF A SECOND BRANCH OF THE ANGLE PART, AND A CASTING MADE OF INSULATING MATERIAL WHEREIN THE ARMATURE PLATE AND THE BLADES ARE EMBEDDED.

Jan. 26, 1971 R. BERNIER CONTACT SPRING RELAYS Filed July 7, 1969 United States Patent 3,559,132 CONTACT SPRING RELAYS Raymond Bernier, Paris, France, assignor to Societe Civile de Prototype Technique Electronique Soprotekel, Paris,

France Filed July 7, 1969, Ser. No. 839,186 Claims priority, application France, Mar. 28, 1969, 6,909,224 Int. Cl. H01h 51/06 US. Cl. 335-275 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A contact spring relay comprising a coil, a magnetic circuit, at least two flexible conducting blades, wherein the magnetic circuit consists of an angle part, a core secured at a first branch of said angle part, an armature plate placed on the free end of the core and on the end of a second branch of the angle part, and a casting made of insulating material wherein the armature plate and the blades are embedded.

It results that the conducting blades act as a return spring for the armature, and that a very simple construction of the relay is obtained.

This invention relates to contact spring relays generally adapted for use as switches of various types. In known relays of this type, the contact spring providing for electrical connection co-operates with an armature which is part of the magnetic circuit to the relay electro-magnet, so that the motion of said armature, following the sending of current to the coil of the electro-magnet, induces motion of the contact spring. In such relays, springs are provided, on the one hand, designed to cause the return motion of the armature upon shutting off of the current in the coil, and on the other hand, means are provided for securing the armature. The securing means are designed to maintain the armature in place in the relay, while allowing it to effect a rotation about an axis in its plane.

These various devices are relatively complex and lead to costly constructions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a relay comprising a very small number of mobile parts whose manufacture is simplified.

The relay according to the invention comprises a base and, mounted on said base, an electro-magnet consisting of a coil and a magnetic circuit, at least two flexible conducting blades and, for each conducting blade, at least one input terminal and a pair of output terminals and is characterized in that the magnetic circuit consists of an angle part having first and second branches perpendicular to each other, a core secured to the first branch perpendicularly to said branch and a mobile armature plate placed on the free end of the core and on the end of the second branch, a casting made of insulating material wherein the armature plate and the two blades are embedded, said blades being connected through one of their ends to the input terminals at a point located between the plane of the armature plate and the plane of the base, said blades being adapted for contact, by the other of their ends, with either one of the terminals of the pair of output terminals, Whereby said conducting blades provide for the positioning of the mobile armature plate and act, as a result of their elasticity, as a return spring for said armature while guaranteeing a good contact with the input and output terminals.

The invention will be more fully understood as a result of the following description, which will show, in addition, other features of the invention.

In the appended drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are front and horizontal projections re- Patented Jan. 26, 1971 spectively of a relay according to a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 3 is a front view of an input terminal, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view one of the output terminals.

The double reversing relay shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 consists essentially of a molded plastic base 1, a magnetic circuit 2, a coil 3, conducting blades 4 and terminals 5, 6 and 7. The magnetic circuit comprises a part in the shape of an angle plate 14, a core 8, placed along the axis of coil 3, and a mobile armature 9. The ends 10 of the wire comprising the coil are linked to a terminal 11. The conducting blades 4 support on one of their ends 17, contact pellets 12 arranged on both of their faces which provide for a suitable electrical contact between said conducting blades 4 and terminal ends 6 and 7. At the other of their ends 18, conducting blades 4 comprise a boring, not visible on the figures, co-operating with a catch provided in terminal 5, as shown in FIG. 3, so as to maintain said blades in position. Conducting blades 4 and armature 9 are made integral by a cast 13 made of plastic material. This cast 13 mechanically assemblies between them said blades and said armature and at the same time provides for their electrical insulation with respect to one another. Core 8 is secured on angle plate 14 through riveting 15. The magnetic circuit is closed by armature 9 which, on the one end, abuts on end 16 of angle plate 14 and, on the other hand, takes up position across the end of core 8. The fulcrum of blades 4 on terminals 5, at their extrimity 18, is located, by construction, above the plane defined by the armature when it rests on end 16 of angle plate 14 and on the end of axis 8; so that in the absence of any current in coil 3, blades 4, as a result of their elasticity, are automatically in contact with terminal 6, this contact occurring through one of the pellets 12 located at their ends 17. In this situation, a very small air gap exists between armature 9 and the end of core 8. If a current is sent to coil 3, it induces magnetization of the magnetic circuit resulting in armature 9 being attracted by core 8, thus leading to breaking of the contact between ends 17 of blades 4 and terminals 6 and provides, on the other hand, for contact between said ends 17 and terminals 7. As a result, in the absence of any current in coil 3, the relay provides for connection between terminals 5 and 6, whereas, when coil 3 carries a current the relay provides for connection between terminals 5 and 7. As can be seen, each of the blades 4 acts as an inversing relay so that, as shown in FIG. 2, with two blades 4, the inversing relay is doubled and can provide, simultaneously and in parallel, two inversions. The principle of operation would still hold with a higher number of blades, for example, it might be possible, according to this same embodiment, to provide quadruple of sextuple inversers.

FIG. 3 shows, in detail, as a front view, a terminal such as 5. This terminal is provided as a punched plate and comprises a foot 20, a body 21 and a beam 22, supporting a catch 23. This catch 23 is to be introduced into the boring provided, as indicated above, in the end 18 of conducting blades 4. Foot 20 is provided with a catch 27 extended by a shank 25. Terminals 5 are secured on base 1 as follows: the base comprises the molding of the housings in which foot 20 and catch 24 are introduced which are housed therein without any looseness; the part of the housing corresponding to catch 24 is slightly shorter than this part 24 so that the latter extends beyond the housing trough its end adjacent to part 25. The end of part 24, thus extending beyond its housing in the base, is subjected to a torsion of approximately one quarter of a turn, which immobilizes it in said housing. Part 25 functions to establish, by welding, the connection with the circuit on which the relay is to be used.

FIG. 4 shows, in perspective, a terminal such as 6 or 7. Such a terminal comprises an upper part 26 forming 3 a beam and a body comprising three successive parts 27, 28 and 29 of decreasing width. Terminals 6 and 7 are similar in shape and differ only in the length of part 27.

Terminal 6 and 7 are secured on base 1 as follows: the base comprises the molding, housings in which is introduced part 28, which takes up position therein without any looseness; the housings are slightly shorter than part 28 so that the latter extends beyond the housing through its extremity adjacent to part 29. The end of part 28, thus extending beyond its housing in the base, is then subjected to a torsion of approximately one quarter of a turn, which immobilizes it in said housing. Part 29 functions to establish, through welding, the connection with the circuit on which the relay is to be used.

Terminals 11 are secured as well on the base using a method identical to those described for terminals 5, 6 and 7.

The adjustment of the relay is elfected by imparting more or less elasticity to the spring made up of the conducting blades. This is obtained by increasing or decreasing, depending on the desired result, the length of the part of said blades covered by the casting plastic material.

FIG. 2 shows that armature 9 comprises two housings 30 at its end opposite the end bearing on end 16 of angle plate 14. These extensions 30, which may eventually be cambered, make it possible to use the relay as a simple relay. Indeed, in this case, terminals 6 may be eliminated and the limitation of motion of the assembly consisting of armature 9 and conducting blades 4, made integral by casting 13, may be provided through wedges suitably arranged on the base or on the coil and against which said extensions 30 abut.

It will be noted that, according to the arrangement described above, the relay does not comprise any fixing screws neither for the armature nor for the conducting blades, thus simplifying it significantly and making its assembly easier and faster.

As far as coil 3 is concerned, it is fitted by force on axis 8, which comprises, for this purpose, a grooved part whose external diameter is slightly superior to the internal diameter of the frame of said coil, so that the magnetic circuit is tied to the base through the coil itself.

The relays according to the invention are particularly adapted to the construction of automation or computer circuits.

It is evident that various modifications can be introduced into the apparatus such as it is described and shown without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A contact spring relay comprising a base and, mounted on said base, an electro-magnet consisting of a coil and a magnetic circuit, at least two flexible conducting blades and for each conducting blade, at least one input terminal and a pair of output terminals, characterized in that the magnetic circuit consists of an angle part having first and second branches perpendicular to each other, a core secured to the first branch perpendicularly to said branch and a mobile armature plate placed on the free end of the core and on the end of the second branch, a casting made of insulating material wherein the armature plate and the two blades are embedded, said blades being connected through one of their ends to the input terminals at a point located between the plane of the armature plate and the plane of the base, said blades being adapted for contact, by the other of their ends, with either one of the terminals of the pair of output terminals, whereby said conducting blades provide for the positioning of the mobile armature plate and act, as a result of their elasticity, as a return spring for said armature while guaranteeiing a good contact with the input and output terminals.

2. A relay according to claim 1, in which the input terminals are in the form of a beam, having an upper branch provided with a catch in the lower part thereof and, co-operating with said catch, a boring provided in the conducting blade which is to be connected to said input terminal, providing for the fixing of said blade onto said terminal.

3. A relay according to claim 1, in which the excitation coil is fitted by force onto said core and provides, as a result, for the fixation of the magnetic circuit onto the base.

4. A relay according to claim 1, in which the terminals include metallic elements and housings are provided in the base, said metallic elements being securedly fitted into said housings and a part thereof extending beyond said housings, the said part having undergone a torsion of substantially one quarter of a turn, which results in blocking the terminals in their housings.

5. A relay according to claim 1, in which the armature comprises, at its end opposite that through which it rests on the end of said second branch, at least one cambered, extension, a wedge integral with the base against which said extension abuts, whereby the motion of the assembly formed by the armature and the conducting blades connected to one another through the casting is limited to a predetermined value.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,896,045 7/ 1959 Brunicardi 335-187 3,115,561 12/1963 Lewis 335-203 3,138,678 6/1964 Raab 335-203 3,142,784 7/1964 Bloomfield 335-275 3,495,200 2/1970 Euler 335--203 HAROLD BROOME, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

